OUR NEW PILOT AT THE COCKPIT’S CONTROLS

Here is our new Aerodrome Editor, July McClure (Above), busy at work on your next edition, which should be out this coming May. July is practicing her formatting and arranging skills on the newly donated large dual screen PC computer installation she recently arranged, to help her get the job done more efficiently and accurately.

Coming from a background in journalism, July is more accustomed to working with Apple Computer Systems, which are the predominant type of desktop publishing equipment found in the printing and journalism fields, as well as in the movie industry, so she’s having to learn new techniques and procedures on our new PC computers.

Prior to taking the helm of the “Aerodrome,” July worked as a photojournalist, primarily in the Southwest. For a number of years she served full-time as a reporter for the Deming, NM Headlight, and she still occasionally produces stories for them on a free-lance basis. She also helped staff the specialty Southwestern magazine, “Desert Winds,” as one of its regular contributors.

Our new Editor graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, while still living in Colorado, but her lifelong love of the theater has kept her consistently playing various roles on stage – and even led her to purchase the well-known dinner stage house in Columbus, the Tumbleweed Theater, which she and her significant other own and operate. Not a slow moving woman, she has also dabbled in local politics, winning a seat on the Columbus City Council on several occasions. She continues to remain active in her community, serving on various boards and commissions.

Almost immediately after joining the First Aero Squadron, July jumped right in by volunteering to help staff our FASF Public Education site at an event. In addition to her love of the theater, Ms. McClure is also an accomplished professional musician, regularly booking and performing in the popular local band, the Desert Trio.

Her late father-in-law, John Two McClure, was a well-known artist from Denver, Colorado who retired to Columbus and painted some highly regarded First Aero Squadron canvas works, which to this day can be found decorating the walls in various local Columbus public facilities and buildings. We hope to have Mr. McClure’s work on display at our future FAS Vintage Aviation Museum, and possibly even for sale.

In addition to her editing work, July also labors at her love of photography, recently taking a fine group photo, of our new Board gathered together after their regular meeting. It can be seen in this same “HOT NEWS!” section two stories below, entitled “CREATIVITY AT WORK!“

While she has assembled some new writing talent for the Aerodrome, July, in addition to some of our regular writers from the past, wants it known that she is always looking for more writers to help liven the pages of our FASF quarterly.

While the focus will predominantly remain the history surrounding the local area, in particular the aviation related events that unfolded in Columbus and down into Mexico during the birthing period of American Air Power, other interesting topics of similar inclinations will be met with an enthusiastic welcome.

If you’d like to help us produce the Aerodrome, whether at the publishing and distribution end or by helping with the actual writing of its colorful pages, please contact Julyat: (575) 494-0009, or at the FASF number, (575) 519-1100, and let her know how you’d like to help.

Jason: We’ll pass your message along to July McClure, and also let it go up on site, in case anyone visiting the site who might be interested, could then be put in touch with you. Good luck. Would love to see the painting. Mostly familiar with John “Two’s” Jennies over Columbus Painting.

Jason, just heard back from July McClure, and she didn’t recognize the description of the “Neechcraft.” And with all my own years in the air, had never heard of one, either. Finally dawned on me that you had a slip of the keyboard and meant to type “Beechcraft”! In that case, neither one of us has seen your painting by John Two McClure, and would both love to see it. That model of the famed Beech Staggerwing has got to be neat. The ship was – and remains – an all time aesthetic masterpiece of aeronautical design excellence, especially when one considers that it was first sold in 1922 – – – with many of those streamlined retractables, with fabric covering, still flying to this day . . . Any chance you could send us a photo of it to put up on this site? That way it might trigger some interest, also.